8 CHINESE TEAS YOU DON’T KNOW BUT SHOULD

Not all teas are created equal. Chances are you’ve been drinking dull, boring, mass-produced tea most of your life. You’ve been missing out. We asked the tea specialists at Niu Gu, an authentic Chinese restaurant and tea lounge in Las Vegas Chinatown to list eight teas that will change your life (and how you view tea forever). These aren’t your grandma’s cuppa. They combed the world’s most populous country, China, which also happens to have the world’s largest selection of teas, to assemble what is arguably the most extensive Chinese tea list in the country – at more than 50 pages…Suffice to say Niu Gu knows tea!

White Peony (Bai Mu Dan)White Peony bursts with a fruity vibe and pops of spice, more potent than its kissing cousin Silver Needle. Made from unopened tea buds, as well as the two newest leaves to sprout.

Qinba Wu Hao from Shaanxi, the cradle of civilization itself with a tea history that dates back to 1135 BC. Tea in this area is very high in selenium and has been named “medicinal tea” for over 3,000 years. Grown in one of the purest places in Asia, the Daba Mountain (Shan) at elevations as high as 2,300 meters. It takes 38,00 buds to make one pound. But it will be hard to get some. Very little leaves China.

Yellow Mountain Fur Peak(Huang Shan Mao Fung)Hailing from the Anhui Province, this tea is one of China’s most famed green teas, getting its unusual name from small white hairs that adorn the tea leaves even after processing. Improve brain function, quench your thirst and burn fat with each sip.Spring Snail (Bi Luo Chun)Here’s another top pick among the people of China. The distinctive leaves of this green tea are the only ones to have a spiral shape, much like a snail’s shell, hence where it gets its name. Harvested in the Dong Ting Mountains, this famous tea is the best of both worlds – with fruity as well as floral notes – making it a lovely option for a gathering among those with good yet varying tastes.

Iron Goddess of Mercy (Tie Guan Yin)If you’ve never tried an oolong tea, this is a wonderful one to start with. It’s somewhat similar to green tea but undergoes much more oxidation. Once brewed, the golden yellow-colored tea makes for a delicate and flowery drink.

Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao)From way up high in the Wuyi Mountains, in the eastern region of Fujian province, Da Hong Pao is called “the drink that costs more than gold” – a reference to its high price. It’s worth every cent

Da Hong Pao Oolong, Wuyi Mountain, China

Golden Beautiful Eyebrow (Jin Jun Mei)This rich and silky black tea is truly a labor of love because it is so intensive to produce. With every sip, it becomes clearer and clearer why farmers go to such trouble to cultivate it. It starts strong with an almost chocolaty taste mingling with earthy undertones and that lingers in the most pleasant of ways.Nannuo Sticky Rice Sheng (Nuo Mi Xiang)This puerh tea is grown in the Yunnan Province and is picked in small batches by the farmer to ensure absolute quality when harvesting the tea. That care that goes into creating this tea is something you can taste with every cup.